As a business owner, social media is a powerful tool to reach new customers and grow your brand. But did you know that visuals are key to success on social media? Posts with visuals get more engagement than posts without visuals, so using images and videos in your social media marketing strategy is essential.
But creating visually appealing images can be tricky – especially if you’re unfamiliar with design software. That’s where the Social media post-maker apps come in. There are free and paid tools to help you easily create beautiful social media posts quickly and easily.
This blog post will discuss some of the best graphics tools for social media marketing.
Tips And Tricks To Using Graphic Design Tools For Social Media
An old proverb reads, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” The human brain can process visual content information up to 60,000 times quicker than text, and graphical information accounts for approximately 90 percent of all information.
Without good visuals in your social media activities, it’s almost impossible to get through to your target audience and get them interested.
If you’re not a graphic designer, don’t worry! You can still create stunning visuals for your social media posts with a little effort and the help of some free (or paid) tools. Here are seven tips to get you started:
- Pick the right tool for the job: Not all Social media post designer tools are created equal. While some may be great for creating simple images, others may be better suited for more complex social media designs. Choose the tool that best fits your needs and the type of images you want to create.
- Think about your audience: Who are you trying to reach with your visuals? What kind of images will resonate with them? Keep your audience in mind when creating visuals for different social media accounts.
- Keep it simple: You don’t need to create a complicated masterpiece to get your point across. Sometimes, simpler images are more effective.
- Focus on the details: Pay attention to the small details in your visuals. They can make a big difference in how your image is received.
- Think outside the box: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different design elements and try something new. You may be surprised at what works well on social media.
- Get feedback: Ask for feedback from your friends, family, or even strangers before you post your visuals on social media. See what they think of your work and make changes if necessary.
- Have fun: Creating visuals images for social media should be fun! If you’re not enjoying yourself, it will show in your work.
By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to creating stunning visuals for social media that will impress your followers and help you achieve your goals.
What To Look For In Graphic Design Tools?
Whether or not you are a graphic designer, you will require graphics tools for major social media marketing. But with so many different design tools available, it can be hard to know which ones are the best for your needs.
If you have been asking yourself, “ How do I create social media graphics better” or “How can I create social media graphics free” Here are some things to look for in choosing the right graphic design tools, followed by free graphic design tools for your small business, or medium to large businesses on social media:
- Ease of use: The best design software is easy to use and understand, even for beginners. It should have a user-friendly interface that makes it simple to find the needed features and navigate between them.
- Flexibility: The best design software is flexible enough to allow you to create a wide range of designs, from simple logos to complex illustrations. It should also offer a variety of editing features so you can easily make changes to your designs.
- Compatibility: The best design software is compatible with the latest versions of popular operating systems and software programs. This ensures that you’ll be able to use it on your current computer and avoid any compatibility issues when upgrading.
- Price: When choosing design software, consider the cost. Some programs are very expensive, while others are more affordable. Choose the program that fits your budget and meets your needs.
- Customer support: When working with design software, you may have questions or need help from time to time. Look for a program that offers customer support in case you need assistance.
- Features: The best design software includes various features to help you create professional-looking designs. Look for programs that offer a wide range of thousands of templates, clip art, and other design elements to give you the tools you need to be successful.
- Updates: The best design software is regularly updated with new features and bug fixes. This ensures that you always have the program’s latest version and can take advantage of new features as they’re released.
- Security: When working with sensitive information, choosing a design program that offers security features is important. Look for programs that encrypt your data and offer password protection to keep your designs safe.
- System requirements: Check the system requirements for the design software you’re considering. Some programs require a high-end computer, while others will run on a lower-end system. Make sure the program you choose will work with your current computer before you purchase it.
- Trial period: Many design programs offer a free trial period. This allows you to try out the software before you commit to buying it. Be sure to take advantage of any free trials so you can be sure the program is right for you.
Best Graphic Design Tools For Social Media
Top Free Graphic Design Tools For Social Media
Canva
With Canva, you can create beautiful and free stunning social media graphics, even if you don’t have any design experience. Easy to use and comes with a wide variety of templates, photos, and illustrations you can use in your designs.
The drag-and-drop interface makes it helpful to get started, and the wide range of social media post design templates and tools means you can create high-quality designs with little prior experience. Canva also offers a wide range of pricing options, making it affordable for businesses and individuals.
However, some users have found the subscription model to be inflexible, and the free version lacks some essential features for professional designers.
Best Features:
- Canva lets you design, schedule, and share social media updates.
- Real-time global cooperation
- Built-in comments for real-time communication, collaboration, and resolution
Pixabay
Founded in 2010, Pixabay is a free stock photo website with over 2.6 million photos, illustrations, and vector graphics available for download.
The site has a clean, modern interface, and users can search for images by keyword or browse through the popular categories. Pixabay also offers a premium membership for $9 per month, which gives users access to additional features such as unlimited downloads, image editing tools, and exclusive social media content.
Despite being a relatively new player in the stock photo market, Pixabay has quickly become the most popular site due to its large selection of high-quality images and easy-to-use interface.
However, there are a few downsides to using Pixabay, such as the lack of customer support and the fact that some images may be low resolution.
Pexels
Pexels is another great free stock photo website with a huge selection of high-quality images. You can find photos for just about anything on Pexels, so it’s a great resource for finding visuals for your social media posts.
Pexels is a stock photo website that offers free, high-resolution photos. The site also has a paid subscription service that gives users access to more than 10 million photos and tools for managing photo collections and creating custom slideshows.
The site’s free photos are suitable for a wide range of uses, and the paid subscription gives access to a wider selection of social media images.
However, a few things should be kept in mind before using Pexels.
First, the site’s terms of service state that some photos may not be suitable for commercial use. Second, some photos’ resolution is not always high enough for printing. Finally, the site does not offer a search function, so users must browse through the collection to find the desired photo.
GIMP
GIMP is a free, open-source image editor that can be used to create social media posts. GIMP is well-known in the creative community for two reasons. First, as previously said, it is free. Downloading is completely free, with no hidden fees or memberships. Second, it’s free and open source.
This implies that its source code is publicly available, and anybody who wants to can tamper with it to change how it operates. While most users will not have the technical skills to do so, it does mean that GIMP is very modular, and a large community is out there giving downloadable plugins and other upgrades to add features and functionalities.
The software is fairly easy to use but requires some design experience. If you’re new to graphic design, you may want to start with one of the other tools on this list before moving on to GIMP.
Inkscape
Inkscape is a powerful vector graphics editor that has a wide variety of features. It offers extensive tools for creating, editing, and manipulating vector graphics. You can create complex shapes, gradients, and patterns with ease. Inkscape also supports multiple layers, transparency, and clipping masks.
It is available for free download from the official website. The software is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.
If you’ve never worked with vector drawings before, Inkscape may seem unfamiliar initially, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its customization and control.
For logos, graphics, and artwork that need to be easily scaled, vector design is generally preferable. Uses for the Inkscape program range from marketing and branding to engineering and CAD to social media graphics to cartooning.
Paid GraphicsTools For Social Media Marketing
Adobe Creative Suite
If you’re in the market for creative software, you’ve undoubtedly considered Adobe Creative Suite (now just called Adobe Creative Cloud). It is a popular suite of innovative tools, and with good reason. The suite is continually updated with new features and integrates well with other Adobe products.
Adobe Creative Suite is a comprehensive set of tools for graphic designers, web developers, and photographers. The suite includes tools for everything from photo editing to video production.
But what exactly does it offer? And is it worth the price tag? Here’s a rundown of the suite’s best features, pricing options, pros, and cons.
Adobe Creative Suite includes a variety of tools for different types of creatives. The most popular programs are Photoshop (for photo editing), Illustrator (for vector illustrations), and InDesign (for print layout). However, there are also tools for video editing (Premiere Pro), web design (Dreamweaver), and more.
If you’re unsure which programs you need, Adobe offers a few different subscription plans that give you access to all the apps.
The subscription plans are fairly priced, but if you only need one or two programs, you can buy them individually. Prices vary depending on your program, but purchasing the programs separately can be a better deal.
Pricing: $9.99 – $54.99
Pros:
- You don’t have to keep paying for the upgrades.
- Adobe provides everything you may require in media production, photos, and videos in one convenient location.
- Creative Cloud makes it convenient to install any Adobe product from within a single app, even through trials.
Cons:
- Adobe offers many yearly, monthly-billed Creative Cloud options. That provides you 12 months of locked-in service prices. Adobe may treble your price after your first annual contract, leaving you with the decision to keep paying or lose access to your work.
- These programs have steep learning curves. You must be skilled to utilize them professionally.
CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW is a vector graphic editor that’s popular among professional graphic designers. The software is fairly easy to use but has a steep learning curve. If you’re serious about graphic design, CorelDRAW is worth checking out.
Despite its target audience of non-designers and Windows-based graphic designers, it has pro-level features.
Using CorelDraw, you can create vector graphics and layouts. The clothing, textile, and apparel industries are big fans of it. Because it can now be used on macOS, the app’s user base has expanded.
Corel’s key highlights include modern features like centralized collaboration, enhanced interoperability, and subscription-based extras.
Pricing Options:
If you’re just starting, CorelDraw Essentials costs just $129, and if you’re a more experienced user, you can upgrade to CorelDraw Standard for $299.
Finally, a $269-per-year membership option is also available, which comes to $22.42 per month for the year. Only Windows users can use the first two.
In addition, there is a 15-day free trial option and education and special pricing. Subscribers receive support and updates.
Pros:
- Unique professional characteristics
- Instant, fun satisfaction
- Interface customization
- Affordable subscription and perpetual licenses
- Pro-level tool easier to learn than Illustrator.
Cons:
- Inconvenient for Adobe-based teams
- Usability concerns
- Extensis Suitcase Fusion font manager incompatible
GraphicSprings
GraphicSprings is an online logo maker that offers a wide range of customizable logos, icons, and illustrations.
GraphicSprings is a user-friendly online logo builder that creates high-resolution logos. The site offers logo templates, an editing tool, and design help packages.
Though it is not a free logo builder, it’s reasonably priced and gives a money-back guarantee on all logo downloads.
You can create social media posts, ads, and more on the platform. GraphicSprings has a free version, but you’ll need to upgrade to the paid plans to access all the features.
Pros:
- GraphicSprings is free to use and lets people make logo designs.
- The site has different logo design packages for people with different budgets.
- Users can download their logos in high-resolution formats like JPG, PNG, and SVG.
- You can look through thousands of logo ideas on the platform to get ideas.
Cons:
- GraphicSprings’ logo downloads aren’t free.
- To download logos, users must register.
- Email is the sole support option.
Pixlr
Pixlr is the best online photo editor with all the features engine known to desktop editing software.
It has a wide range of adjustments and filters, advanced color management, support for layers, layer masks, and non-destructive editing. You can use it to open and save Photoshop PSD files. It’s also possible to purchase a subscription that gives you access to more storage, premium fonts, custom graphics, and Shutterstock images.
This application can perform just much as everything a professional picture editing tool can do, including collages, eliminating backgrounds, and adding layers.
It also includes a slew of design templates for social media that you can customize with its drag-and-drop editor. While this editor is significantly more sophisticated than the others, it does provide a broad range of options, so making designs will be a snap once you’re acquainted with the UI.
Pricing options:
While it has a free plan, its premium plan costs $4 – $14.99.
Pros:
- It’s user-friendly.
- It’s fast to load, unlike Photoshop. Background remover and color replacer are great.
- Browser-based photo editing and social media posting are fast.
Cons:
- Some users complain about it being slow and glitchy.
- Curves Tool, BMP and Tiff support, auto photo extension converter, and online cloud storage space to store projects are missing.
Landscape
Sprout Social’s Landscape is a user-friendly program that makes it easy to upload and resize images before posting them on social networking sites.
After uploading a picture, you may choose which of your social media profiles to use it for, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or YouTube; alternatively, you can use the same image across all your platforms at the same time.
In addition, you have the choice to tailor the output size to your specific requirements.
Pricing:
Though the Landscape tool is free for resizing, you will need the paid version of Sprout Social for curating, scheduling, and posting images and videos on major social media platforms.
Conclusion
So, what do you look for when choosing a graphic design tool?
First and foremost, finding one that is easy to use is important.
Second, the software should be versatile enough to create different types of graphics. You don’t want to be limited in what you can produce. Finally, make sure the tool is affordable and has good customer service in case you need help using it.
Now that we’ve gone over the best tools for social media marketing, it’s time for you to choose what works best for you and get started creating stunning visuals!
FAQS
What is the Most Important Tool for Graphic Designers Regarding Social Media?
Different designers have different opinions on graphic design tools. However, some commonly cited tools include Photoshop, Canva, and CorelDraw.
What Are Some Tips on Using These Tools Effectively for Social Media Purposes?
Some tips on using these tools effectively include understanding each tool’s various features and capabilities and finding ways to streamline your workflow. Additionally, it is important to experiment with different techniques and approaches to find what works best for you.
What Common Mistakes Do Graphic Designers Make When Working With Social Media?
Some common mistakes graphic designers make when working with social media apps to create images include:
- Not understanding the platform’s requirements.
- Not tailoring content to a specific audience.
- Using too many visuals or not enough visuals.
What Are Some General Best Practices for Creating Visuals for Social Media?
Some general best practices for creating visuals for social media include using high-quality images, keeping text to a minimum, and using complementary colors.
What Are Some Specific Tips for Creating Visuals for Specific Social Media Platforms?
Some tips for creating visuals for specific social media platforms include understanding each platform’s image requirements and using tools specific to that platform. For example, Instagram has many filters that can be used to enhance images.
How Often Should Graphic Designers Update Their Portfolios When Working With Social Media?
It depends on the designer’s workflow and goals. However, it is generally advisable to update your portfolio regularly, especially if you are actively working on new projects.
What Other Things Should Graphic Designers Consider When Working With Social Media?
Other things that graphic designers should keep in mind when working with social media include being familiar with the latest trends and technologies and being active on multiple platforms. Additionally, it is important to interact with other users and build a network of contacts.